For people who are beginning to show early aging changes of the face, a limited face lift procedure can be done. That surgery lifts the cheeks mostly and to a lesser extent the temples and the neck. It restores the previous younger and more rested appearance and its results are more subtle than with a full face and neck lift. The limited lift is appropriate for those people who do not need a more extensive lift. It is usually done at an earlier age and may significantly postpone aging changes. The recovery time is much shorter than with a more extensive lift and the cost is significantly less. It is usually done as an office procedure. For those people having previously had a full face lift and who, with time, are developing some recurrent relaxation of their face, a limited lift may to a large extent restore their earlier result.

The dressing is removed in the first couple of days. The visible stitches are removed in one week. The amount of bruising in most cases is very limited. Makeup may be worn in several days and in many cases time away from work is less than a week.

The muscles of the cheek are tightened during the surgery in an attempt to make the result last well. For those patients with a lot of relaxation of the face and neck, the limited lift will not produce a result comparable to a more extensive lift.

For those patients with early and limited relaxation, the limited lift may postpone the time when a more extensive lift might be considered.